Was just wondering.....on U-Tube lost of people done test for methanol, like blue is ok, red is lead ...no good aso, howeverI did my own test to see, low and behold.....mentholated spirits burn ....blue....??? what ?? so does my spirits ...of cause, I know you can't drink itbut that's very confusing.......some one enlighten me Please !!And yes ....I know how to do cuts and all that, so I don't need a topic on that.....still learning, do more reading than distilling sometimes hm !!!So what's the answer.......???Chris

PS: Thanks for a wonderfull......friendly forum.....I have learned so much in ashort time from here, so a heartfelt big THANKS ALL.

Methylated spirit used to be 95% ethanol with 5% methanol. The methanol was added to deter people from drinking it. In Australia now, just as coffee addict says methylated spirits has a bittering agent, but no methanol. The blue flame colour is characteristic of an oxygen containing fuel burning in air. Methanol and ethanol both contain oxygen and this causes them to burn cleaner than many other organic molecules.

95% ethanol with 5% methanol if your job used methylated spirits not very pleasant probably why methanol is not being using.As a fuel for transport. fumes give you a headache . would be very unpleasant in heavy traffic.

wynnum1 wrote:95% ethanol with 5% methanol if your job used methylated spirits not very pleasant probably why methanol is not being using.As a fuel for transport. fumes give you a headache . would be very unpleasant in heavy traffic.

Plus all the numpties that would drink it bittering agent or not. That's dedication to hard core alcoholism!